One Month Out: Weekends of July 9 and 16, 2010
By BOP Staff
June 28, 2010
Matthew Huntley: I agree with Josh that The Sorcerer's Apprentice looks fun, albeit stupid fun, but every time I've seen the trailer, many audience members, including myself, have been underwhelmed. It looks too Mummy 3-ish - with bloated special effects and a derivative story. Still, Jay Baruchel is growing on me and I like Nicolas Cage's attitude as the sorcerer. Director Jon Turteltaub has yet to prove he's talented beyond standard popcorn fare, but at least we know it will be light and probably charming. I can't see this movie going too far at the box-office ($130 million at most) because the marketplace will be so crowded, but expectations don't seem that high.
Every time I talk to somebody about the summer movie lineup, Inception remains the only one they're still waiting to see. The trailers have been great because we still don't know exactly what it's about, which is how all trailers should be. I don't think it will open to huge numbers (maybe $60 million) because I think people are going to wait to hear whether it's worth it, both from critics and audiences, but if it proves to be a critical success and overall crowd-pleaser, it will definitely have legs. I'm not convinced it will be either yet (expectations for Nolan are way too high after The Dark Knight, and even though he has yet to flagrantly disappoint us, it doesn't mean it's not possible).
Jason Lee: I'd be up for going to see either film opening that weekend, which is not something I would have been able to say at any other point this summer. Like Josh, I'd give the edge to The Sorcerer's Apprentice over Inception in terms of final gross, though I wonder if I'm over-estimating the power of the Disney brand in this post-Prince of Persia world.
Shalimar Sahota: There are already too many similar fantasy films with young children/teenagers turning out to have magical abilities, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice seems a bit too Percy Jackson to me. Maybe people will have caught on and had enough. However, I can see it outgrossing Bruckheimer's Prince of Persia. The trailers all look solid enough in being able to sell audiences the same story once again. Even Nicolas Cage can't help but say that, "it is fun." There's also a quick shot of Jay Baruchel struggling with a lot of dancing brooms! A $40 - 45 million opening could be achievable.
I know what Matthew is talking about in regards to Inception. The buzz just seems to be getting bigger, due to how mysterious it comes across (rather similar to The Matrix), and there is an audience out there hungry for an intelligent blockbuster. It's also one of the few original ideas that isn't based on any existing material this summer. Nolan has managed to make a name for himself as a director who consistently delivers quality, and plastering "From the director of The Dark Knight" on all the posters could generate a very high opening indeed. And if the quality turns out to be definitely there, then this could end up sticking around throughout the summer.
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